New Laws
Last week, several new laws took effect. Among these is the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, which is landmark legislation lawmakers approved this year to help ensure people with diabetes can access the insulin they need to live in an emergency situation, and to create a long-term path to access affordable insulin. The bill is named after Alec Smith, a 26-year-old from Richfield who tragically died when he was forced to ration his insulin because he couldn’t afford to refill his prescription. It’s inexcusable that this could happen to anyone in this country, and this legislation is needed to ensure it never happens to anyone in Minnesota again.
Also taking effect is the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act. It will require drug makers to report the reasons for price increases and provide other detailed information about the cost of manufacturing, marketing, and distributing drugs. It will also require price transparency for existing drugs, new drugs, and newly acquired drugs. This is a major step forward in our efforts to shine a light on high drug prices, and we will keep working on solutions to ensure all Minnesotans can access the medications they need. You can read more about these and other new laws here.
Podcast
Check out the latest episode of the Shakopee Podcast where I am joined by Safia Khan who is the Government Relations Director for the Shakopee prison. We go into a number of matters around how the prison impacts our community and the criminal justice system as a whole. We also discuss what legislation we have worked on to make our prison system safer for everyone and what still needs to be done to improve our facilities.
Grocery Assistance for Minnesota Families
If your child received free or reduced-price school meals last year, you may be eligible for assistance. The new Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program was created to help families with children buy food while schools are closed. Parents and guardians can receive up to $325 per child to spend on groceries. You can learn more about P-EBT and apply here.
Brad Tabke, State Representative | Rep.Brad.Tabke@house.mn
Addie Miller, Legislative Assistant | adeline.miller@house.mn